Аляксандр Васюковіч

Артэфакты гвалту

Knife. Sometimes father in the middle of night made his daughter go looking for his wife, who was running away from him time to time, because she was afraid that he would beat her. One day his wife ran away, and her daughter did not follow where her mother had gone. As punishment, he cut off some of her hair with a knife.

Hand. She was pregnant. The man considered that the child was not from him. Being drunk he beat her, put his hand in her vagina and tried to get unborn child out. In the morning she woke up in the hospital, she lost her baby.

Flowers. Carolina was very fond of her flowers, and she was worried about them - they would die there, in the house from which she was running away. So one day she decided to return for a few minutes to water the flowers. Her husband was at home and beat her again.

Mercury thermometer. The husband broke several thermometers, poured mercury into the pillow on which his wife slept. The daughter slept on the same bed. His wife began to get sick kidneys, muscles, edema. She did not understand what was happening to her. For three months no one could diagnose her. She was getting worse and worse. Then he confessed and said: "Throw out the pillow."

A glass with urine. The daughter had constant stress due to domestic violence, from this began enuresis. At night, she wakes up in a wet bed. When her father noticed this, he made her urinate in a glass and drink urine, to force her to understand that bedwetting is bad.

Iodine and hair. The man beat his partner. Beat mostly on the head with his fist, but not on the face, so that there are no bruises. Or head against the wall. He forbade her to go to the doctors and independently lavished the wounds on her head with iodine. Her hair was red all the time.

Buckwheat and a key. Parents were closing her daughter Julia in the room for a several month. The didn’t give her enough food, so she ate raw buckwheat.

Jeans and gasoline. Ann's father went for alimony. Then he came drunk and started to beat her, then tried to rape, undressed, clothes broke. He carried the jeans to the yard of the house, poured gasoline and burned it. Ann ran away.

Pencils. The son tortured his mother. He took sharply sharpened pencils and pricked her. When the pencils were broken, he took out the new ones and continued. Her hands, neck and back were in bruises, scars and punctures.

A 20$ note. The grandson folded a twenty-dollar note, and, putting the knife to her grandmother's throat, forced her to eat it, because she did not give him money to pay for taxi.

Frozen feet. The son drove her mother out of the house, and she lived in a barn. That winter was especially cold. Mother froze her feet. She was found when she crawled to the bus stop for help.

Pullover. She husband was going to beat her wife, he wrapped her head with a pullover. He told, that his friends in police told him to do it if he wants not to leave any signs of beating on her wife’s face.

Lightbulb. Son told his mother he will kill he when he comes back from jail. And she decides to hide. She asks a worker to fix the lighting in the basement of a building where she lived. She moved to basement to leave her flat empty so he can’t find her.

A screenshot of the Facebook post. That's what we see on social networks: smiling people, who are treated as heroes who never dies. Some times posts like these are intended to popularize participation in a conflict and use of force.

Callsign "Boha", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 18, 2014 in Artemovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

"Boha" was killed while the attempt of liberation of the town of Popasnaya, Lugansk region.

Callsign "Varg", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 22, 2014 near Artemovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Screenshot from Gmail. The letter from the "Varg's" wife. "Varg" missed in action during the retreat from Ilovaysk. There was no information about him, so she decided to sent the letter to all his contact to find out if somebody knows something.

Callsign "Samolyot", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 24, 2014 in Lisichansk, Lugansk region, Ukraine.

"Samolyot" was killed near the town of Ilovaysk, Donetsk region.

Screenshot of the Facebook post. That's what we see on social networks: smiling people, who are treated as heroes which don't die. Some times such posts are intended to popularize participation in a conflict and usage of force.

Left to right: callsign "Gor", "Tankist", "Kein", "Son", were killed. Original photo was taken on July 20, 2014 near Artemovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Callsign "Gor", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 23, 2014 near Lisichansk, Lugansk region, Ukraine.

"Gor", "Varg", "Kein", "Son", "Eney", "Sych", "Natz" were killed during retreat from the town of Ilovasyk, Donetsk region. They were walking so-called "green corridor" provided by the separatists to retreat safely.

Callsign "Natz", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 20, 2014 near Artemovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Callsign "Eney", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 24, 2014 in Lisichansk, Lugansk region, Ukraine.

Screenshot from Gmail. The letter from the "Tankist's" wife. She wrote that "Tankist" was killed in Ilovaysk. She is trying to find any photos or videos of her husband. She says it's important to her to have a memories about him.

Left to right: callsigns "Sych" and "Tankist", were killed. Original photo was taken on July 20, 2014 near Popasnaya, Lugansk region, Ukraine.

"Tankist" was killed during retreat from the town of Ilovasyk, Donetsk region.

Callsign "Medok", was killed. Original photo was taken on July 19, 2014 near Artemovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Memorial Facebook post about "Medoc". A full-body shot on еру grave stone is based on the picture that I took near Artemovsk and sent to "Medoc" and his friends.

Screenshot from VK. A message from "Kein". He wrote that somebody attacked the checkpoint, and he have to go now. He never was online since that day.

Left to right: callsigns "Gor", "Natz" and "Tankist" were killed. Original photo was taken on July 21, 2014 near Tripol'e village, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Diana E.
Diana moved in domestic abuse shelter the night she came out of the hospital. That night domestic violence survival couldn't go back home, because her husband, who was trying to strangle her to death a few days ago wasn’t arrested shortly after the abuse incident discovered at their home by police and she had no family or friends to lean on.
Agressor was trying to strangle her to death during 3 hours, was beating her and threatening by saying: “I love you, but I’ll kill you if you are going to leave me”. She passed out from shock and oxygen deprivation from time to time. And when she came the thing was lasting. She tried to flight, defending herself, but he was stronger than she was. It all began with her intention to break up with him. Husband hadn't exhibited any violent behavior towards Diana up to that point. She had lost her employability for some time.
That night he didn't killed her only because he fall asleep on her. That was the very moment she called the police. Police took her and didn't took him. During two hours policeman was taking her details. Policeman were victim-shaming and victim-blaming. After everything was recorded she went back home, where were hiding in a corner all night long till the morning, afraid to wake aggressor up.
The next day she filed domestic abuse charges. So did he. The thing is she bite him on the hip in self-defense during his attempt to kill her. Moreover, this was a piece of advice policeman gave to him.

ALEXANDRA T.
The criminal proceedings under Art. 153 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (intentional infliction of light bodily injury) against Alexandra’s former husband began one and a half years after the incident:
It’s only now that I have decided — says the woman.
There were five hearings. The result was the verdict of guilty. Public works and 300 USD of moral compensation were the punishment. Such is the price of a bruised knee — the proved episode. The mother of three describes more episodes which cannot be proved due to the drawbacks in the Belarusian legislation:
— He raped me for the whole winter, any time of the day. He did not care whether the children were sleeping or not. He always did it in a perverted form augmenting like this: “You, b…es, should be treated like that". Sometimes there were three or four times per night, as it seemed to me”. I could not tell anyone. On the one hand, it is such a shame to talk about things like that; on the other hand, I thought I deserved it. He really liked it when I asked for forgiveness on my knees. I asked: “When will it be over? I cannot stand it any longer”. In response he said: “Expecting the punishment is worse than the punishment itself”.
It was many months of sexual abuse by the ex-husband that was the reason why Alexandra turned to the Shelter for female victims of domestic violence.

Svetlana Z.
Svetlana’s husband does not drink, nor smoke and leads a healthy lifestyle. He is a former professional boxer, now keeping in shape. According to Svetlana, all the women for him are cooks, cleaners and nannies, and she, Svetlana, is also "a hide, an animal, a whore and a slut from under the fence." They have lived twenty-seven years together.
— There was no life. There were scandals, fights, bruises and injuries. He beat the children and he beat me. He broke the arm of the little son. He always hit him on the nose, while the boy had a week nose, so it always bled. He never let the children play with other kids. Those would run around and play while our Katya and Vanya would sit at home, behind the closed gate. When he was in rage, it was almost frothing at his mouth, his eyes bulging as if he was a wild man run out of the woods and ready to eat you. His favorite phrase was "I did nothing wrong." He never let any other people to our house. If I would go out shopping, he would call me about ten times asking where I was and telling I should come soon and should not speak to anyone.
The man had not worked for twenty years. Svetlana earned for the family. She often went to work purple, covered with bruises, but she never asked her neighbors, colleagues or the authorities for help.
— Neighbors feared him. The police too. They tried to avoid him as soon as they heard his name. He served two years in prison and he is generally violent. The police was called twice but it had no effect. When he was affected, he would beat with anything and at anything, just to make it hurt. He made one man an invalid and broke a neighbor’s jaw. Twenty-seven years later, we managed to run away. I was afraid of him, and I am still afraid. I know he is looking for me right now. I do not want any court hearings; I do not want any revenge. I am longing for just one thing - to be left alone and never see him again.

NASTA Z.
When Nasta was ten years old, her mother's live—in boyfriend started to periodically lay her on the couch, pull all her clothes and touch(twice a week or three times a day):
— And about once a month ... yes, at least, he tried to put my hand in his groin, but I always pulled it away.
This went on for three years. Nasta says that every time he interrupted her from a favorite hobby saying “It’s time to relax”. When it was over, he sometimes said: “Do not tell mom, we should not hurt her. You do not want mom to worry, do you?”. Nasta really did not want to offend her mother, so she kept silent. Today the girl is twenty—one, and she constantly struggles with the emotional and psychological consequences of what had happened.

DARIA S. AND HER SON VLAD
Daria S. raised Vietnamese pigs to sell the pork at the market in the capital city. The apparently forceful and strong willed housewife and mother identified herself as a “punching bag”. She says that her former husband had the habit, among others, of winding her hair around his arm and hitting her in the face. She went to bed in a track suiting order to flee if necessary. When she came home from the store, she always had to show the receipt:
— I had to tell him what I bought and how much it cost. “Why did you afford an extra pair of panties? Why did you buy the pads that are more expensive than last time?”
After years of bullying Daria S. decided to act. As a result of his actions, her ex-husband was condemned to 11 years in prison under articles 147 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm) and 174 of the Criminal Code (parents’ evasion of reimbursement of the maintenance spent by state on children under the state care).

JULIA P.
Employees of the Shelter for women suffered of domestic violence are saying about Julia P. as an extremely sincere, honest and hardworking person. “You know, she is a slogger. Like a bee all the time. She worked and watched the house: cleaned, brushed, cooked. Before leaving the Shelter she had frozen some berries for the next lodgers” — psychotherapist Tatiana Goncharova reminisces with a smile. Julia says, that before getting to the Shelter she had lived with the human, abused her, for four years. The man had underage daughter, who still calls the woman “mom”, and Julia, being attached to the girl, couldn’t leave her: “We’ve been saving and protecting each other all these years”. And once I finally didn’t endure — escaped.
— He strongly quarreled with his boss. Told him: “If you expel me, Julia won’t work”. The boss answered: “Julia will, cause she is working, but you — won’t”. That evening I was preparing for my shift, and he started wring my hand and legs — he was doing a grasshopper and told: “You won’t go anywhere, you won’t work”. He went to bed and I was limping, but took his tent, bike and just left, I had spent three nights in the forest, then found the Shelter in Minsk, in some more time — a job in the agricultural town”.
After seven months of mostly calm life the man tracked Julia, and under the pressure of the circumstances she came back into the house she hated so much. All the time she talks about good things, so it’s so nastily to ask her questions, the answers to which should reveal the domestic violence issue. Anyway.
— What was he doing with you?
— I was pregnant. He was drunk and screamed. It was his birthday. (long pause). He is drinking glasses. He started beat me up. Told: «It’s not my baby, you’re cheating me». He kicked in the stomach, smothered, pulled out from the inside of mine. The picture was awful. He went to bed. Tore my hair out. I had got dressed and ba

ANYA M.
—Anya, did he beat you often?
Anya M.:
—He did, if I had done something wrong. He constantly slapped: sometimes the ear, sometimes the head. He told me to call my mom and to ask her to come back. I called her, but it was impossible for her to come on the weekend, for example. I hang up and told him that. He started beating me while saying: “You was crying not enough, were asking not enough, as your mummy didn’t come”.

OLGA L.
Olga came to the Shelter with her face as round as a ball:
— He paid me more than 12 strokes. I well remember each of them. He was beating me for a long time.
Her children did not recognize her as the voice changed due to the edema. She cried constantly and did not allow the Shelter employees to look at her for a long time, she hid the darkness instead. Today, despite all the mishaps following the break(children taken to the shelter for sex month, acute housing need), Olga L. confidently enters the “afterlife”.

Anna R.
Anna’s husband had never beaten her but only strangled and frightened. He strangled so that no bruises remained. He frightened her that he would throw her out from the fifth floor. He turned the gas on and kept her face above the flowing gas jet telling his threats at the same time.
— It was just to show who the boss in the family was. I was not allowed to talk, to complain or even to ask for help with household duties. I washed, cleaned, brought packages full of food from the store, cooked meals and brought to him while he was lying on the sofa. To report him? I am tired to explain and justify to everybody why I have not done it before. He strangled me so that no traces remained. If I started to scream and scratch, he put a pillow on my face or kept my face above the gas and threatened and after that even a trace could not remain hypothetically. What should I have reported about? About the gas? I know how it works. Should I have left? I have done it many times. However, you cannot hide in our small town. Even in a large city, in the capital city. He found us despite we concealed our traces when we were running away. By the way, all these years, whenever he got drunk, we ran away, whether a day or a night. He drank and went out searching for someone he didn’t like. He said: “Who wants to get beaten into his fu**ing face?” He would not come back until he fought with anyone.
So it all had been going on until the following happened:
— He did not like the way our son hung up his trousers. He began to accuse the ten-year-old boy of the lack of independence. Then he beat our son. He took hold of his neck and lifted him above his head up to his full height. The child shitted himself. I did not report anything. We just packed our things and ran away from the town while he was away. I have already filed for divorce. Now my son and I are starting with a clean slate.

KARINA L.
Karina’s memory is blocking part of her recollections. Karina explains her relocation to the Shelter by the fact that her husband had been beating her for the last ten years and, as it becomes clear now, demonstrated violence against their four minor children:
— When I once again lay pregnant at the hospital my oldest daughter began to urinate in bed at night. She told the psychologist that at that time he pressed his fingers against her closed eyes and warned: “If you do it once again, you will not be here”. When she continued to urinate, he forced her to drink her urine in cups.
Ten years later Karina decided to get out of it and the first court procedures took place: “He was found guilty under Article 9.1 of the Administrative Code and got a fine of 10 basic units”.
10 basic units = 120 USD.

ELENA V.
Leaving is not always easy, even if he beats. In the city where Elena lived judges, police officers — everybody was using her ex-husband’s services.
— He is a very narrow focused specialist, so he could do anything like drunk driving or kicking up a row. He felt his impunity. He told me straight in the face: "I can do to you whatever I want. If I want I can put you into jail". I wrote the application eight times. None of them mattered. Nobody heard me.
Elena describes her state when she turned to the public association “Radislava”, organization, which was established twelve years ago by women who had suffered from violence to help other women in similar situations, in the following way:
— It was terrible. I was indifferent to everything, even the child. There was nothing that could hold me in this life. I had suicidal thoughts and previously the attempt to suicide.
After several months of rehabilitation Elena gave another chance to her husband. It ended up in the attempt to strangle for her and a few days in the police department for him. Elena did not give him any more chances and will not.

Nastasia is a music teacher in the kindergarten. She is crazy about the Kupala Theatre. She spent the entire fifth year of the university there. Later she married and moved in to the apartment they had built together with her husband. There he beat her for about five years. Today she has serious troubles with the memory. During the conversation Nastasia was not able to recall the three performances at the Kupala Theatre she had recently visited.
— I bought the tickets right before the performance.
There are always some left. Somebody may return them or there are some booked but not requested.
— What was the name of the performance?
— Just a moment, I'll tell you .... Oh.
— Do you remember?
— No, I don’t.
Nastassja M. spent three weeks at the Shelter for female victims of domestic violence. During the first few days at the shelter she was complaining of the body ache. It was difficult for her to move and get out of bed. The reason is that being under constant stress makes the victims of violence “stoned”, i.e. their muscles are tensed 24 hours a day. In a quiet environment they relax, and as a result, there is a pain in the body. On the fifth day at the Shelter she filed the divorce application that had been stored in her bottom drawer for two years. She also applied for the alimony.

KIRA D.
When Kira lived in the Shelter, her ex-husband sent her SMS threats in obscene language:
— I scanned the SMS and wrote an application to the police, so he was sentenced under Art. 189 of the Criminal Code of Belarus “Insult”, but there were no regulations forbidding him to approach or contact me. He could be taken to court, but in fact I remained unprotected. If he beat or killed me, he would be put into prison, but so far it is no more than an insult.
A few months before she moved to the Shelter, the case of battery with light bodily harm was registered:
— If I had not done anything, it would have been more than once or twice. And the threat would have been carried out.

TAMARA D.
Tamara D. has the life story of about twenty years’ insult, humiliation and depreciation. She says that no one took her into account and she actually did not have a home. She was a proper housewife cooking, cleaning and walking the dog in the evening as well as working hard over the norm at the office. The employee at “Radislava” Ekaterina Markevich says that at the moment Tamara addressed them she identified herself as a "gray mouse ignored by the husband". Whenever Tamara was praised in the therapy group of female victims of violence, she began to cry:
— No one has ever praised me, — the woman said.
Only two years later when Tamara realized she was livin gunder psychological violence in the family, she decided to apply to the district police. She put in an application regarding her former spouse: he had insulted and hit her. For two years Tamara tried to put her husband on trial for the manifestations of psychological violence that became even more frequent.
— In the end, I applied the prosecutor's office, and after the thorough investigation they renewed the case and took it to the court. He was put on trial.
Today Tamara changed the exhausting and unsuitable job to the one that inspires her. She is setting goals and tends to achieve them. She divorced her husband and spends time on herself going to spa, training and staying at the cottage. She helps women who faced similar life situations as she did. And now she smiles when she is being praised.

ANASTASIYA P.
Ex-husband stroke Anastasiya more than once. And more than once he paid administrative penalty for that. As Anastasiya says, his behavior was the most aggressive, when she was on maternity leave and was living in his apartment: - To live in a foreign territory without being registered there, - it’s a hellish risk, and I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone. This factor gives enormous power to one person over another. As for the “second chance” politics, Anastasiya thinks so: - Once again, after listening to all the requests for forgiveness, I started the experiment: “If you want to have a peaceful divorce and the possibility for informal communication with the child after it, just prove you can be different. Don’t touch me during twelve months”. He withstood a little more than nine months.

OLGA Z.
Olga’s story is story that victims are we all. And a little about the miracle. Father raped Olya from she was nine till fourteen. Later he dryly explained in the court: “I wanted a baby from her”. But it didn’t work because Olya didn’t even have periods. “They started only when I was nineteen. I guess, he understood that the child would not turn, hit my head by the mount and threw to die into the barn, and then he submitted a wanted list. The neighbors saved me. He was taken to the police and sentenced to 12 years».
All Olga’s subsequent life journey is a way of growing of the deeply traumatized child, who didn’t get help and protection at time. Once this way was nearly broken, when full of despair and fear for the future of her four little kids Olga came to the church to atone for her future sin — suicide — and ask to bury her in the cemetery.
The priest listened to her attentively and told: “Don’t run any more. Don’t do anything. I will help you”. And he still helps.